Pickin’ the Big Ten: Dec. 27-31

I hope everyone is still enjoying the holiday season. Kind of a bare-bones picks blog this week with Paula vacationing in New York City and me, well I’m just being lazy as I take some time off from the main job.Let’s take a look at our picks from last time out.Last weekDrew: 1-3-0 (.250)Paula: 0-4-0 (.000)Yikes!This seasonDrew: 54-29-6 (.640)Paula: 46-37-6 (.551)

This week

Two tournaments and one two-game series make up the slate of games we’ll pick this extended-weekend. All times are local.No. 6 Ohio State vs ColgateFriday at 7:00 p.m., Saturday at 4:00 p.m.With 20 days between their last game of the first half and today’s game, the Buckeyes should be one of the more rested teams in the conference. Ohio State was in good form to close out the first half, too, going undefeated (by the NCAA’s definition) in its last five contests.Drew: Ohio State 4-2, 3-1Paula: Ohio State 3-2, 3-2Minnesota at the Mariucci ClassicSaturday at 4:00 p.m. and 7 p.m., Sunday at 4:00 p.m. and 7 p.m.I tweeted this back when the TV schedules were trickling out and I’ll say it again here, it’s disappointing that FS North isn’t broadcasting all four games of this tournament. Sorry for narrowcasting to people in and around Minnesota, but it’s just very puzzling to me that a rerun of a tennis tournament in Texas and Cal State Bakersfield at Texas Tech basketball, among other things, are the preferred option over showing four games featuring in-state opponents. Anyways, the Gophers play the late game on Sunday regardless of Saturday’s results.Drew: Minnesota over Bemidji State 3-2, Minnesota State over Minnesota 6-1Paula: Minnesota over Bemidji State 3-2, Minnesota State over Minnesota 4-1Michigan and Michigan State at the Great Lakes InvitationalMonday at 1:00 p.m. and 4 p.m., Tuesday at 11:30 a.m. and 2:30 p.m.This might be the first time I’ve typed “a.m.” when referring to a scheduled hockey game. Kudos to those that go to both college games and then the NHL game on New Years Eve, I don’t think I could handle paying arena prices for 11 hours.Drew: Michigan State over Michigan Tech 3-2, Michigan over Ferris State 3-1, Michigan State over Michigan 4-3Paula: Michigan State over Michigan Tech 2-1, Michigan over Ferris State 4-2, Michigan State over Michigan 4-2

The Tweet Machine

Follow us, (@drewclaussen) and (@paulacweston), on Twitter. Paula will be live from the Great Lakes Invitational for all four games. I had plans of going to Mariucci on Saturday, but sadly some predicted freezing rain might throw a wrench in those. (Pick up the other games, FSN!)